Poem: What Persists

What Persists

It does no good,
or has not done so
this far along,
and I want to know
what to do
to change that,
want to know
what will work.
I keep doing
what I must.
That is true.
I need to do it,
I know that,
I know it is important
to continue. 
That is fine.
But what
is wrong?
Why is it
only this?
I need to know
what to do
that I am not doing,
what will help
to make things better,
to change things
so they are better,
so the effort
is not a waste.
Do not pretend
that it is about attitude
or accepting
how things are now.
Those are not answers.
They are lies,
are meant to placate,
are a false appeasement.
The problem
cannot be solved that way.

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